Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and brain pattern linked

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) affects 2-3 % of the population.  OCD patients suffer from obsessions such as contamination by ‘germs’, symmetrical order of objects, fears of hurting themselves or others, the need to check household objects.  The symptoms cause severe distress and anxiety and can consume an individual’s life.

Cambridge University researchers have discovered that individuals with OCD and their close family members have distinctive patterns in their brain structure.  This is the first time that scientists have associated an anatomical trait with family risk for the disorder.

The findings reported in ‘Brain’ could help predict whether individuals are at risk of developing OCD and lead to more accurate diagnosis of the disease.

The complex set of genes underlying this heritability and exactly how genes contribute to the illness are unknown.  Such genes may pose a risk for OCD by influencing brain structure (eg the amount and location of grey matter in the brain) which may, in turn, impact upon an individual’s ability to perform mental tasks.

Elaine Warburton